Kuruk of the Water Tribe
by sympathy for monsters
Summary: Kuruk has just learned that he is the Avatar. He must leave his home with his polar leopard and his best friend. He makes his journey through the four nations to learn how to be the Avatar. A fun action/adventure fic with romance, fights, and friendship!
1. Sixteen

I have started a new story and it will be grand. If you have any critiques, suggestions or ideas for anything you think would be awesome, throw it out here. I have some great ideas for what will happen but I'm open to hear what you have to say. Read and Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Chapter One; Sixteen.<strong>

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><p><em>I was sixteen when I was told I was the Avatar.<em>

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><p>"Kuruk, son of Nanuk," There were five people on the dais. One representative from each tribe and Chief Tuiyo, who was on the side. Kuruk thought that they couldn't possibly have looked more official. Glancing back, he noticed that the doors had been closed behind him. "Step forward."<p>

"Have I done something wrong?" Kuruk asked, not really expecting an answer. Tuiyo stepped down and stumbled over to Kuruk, standing behind him and placing both hands on his shoulders. "Be quiet, Kuruk. This is important." The boy frowned and looked down at his sealskin boots. He had thrown Hinun in the canal, but he had been asking to go swimming. He was about to say something when Tuiyo clenched his shoulders again and Kuruk clenched his jaw. The four representatives stepped down and formed a line, the water Shaman, Payo, in front.

"What's happening?" Kuruk asked again, quieter so that only Payo could hear. Payo smiled at Kuruk and winked.

"Hush up, we're about to change your life."

Then Payo bowed.

"Kuruk. It is my honor as the spiritual advisor of the Northern Water Tribe to tell you that you are the Avatar."

Kuruk blinked. It took him a second to process this information. By this time Payo had pushed a large necklace into his hands, bowed again and left. Next was a Priest of the Earth kingdom who gave Kuruk two wrist braces. The Fire Sage, gave him a hair piece and the Air Guru offered a wide belt. Tuiyo took his place behind the four spiritual advisors and they all bowed.

"It is an honor," Kuruk was standing very still, his hands full of gifts, "Avatar Kuruk."

"Uh. Thanks."

Tuiyo almost fell down with embarrassment. Payo smiled and came down to talk to Kuruk, leading him away as he put on the various ornaments.

"Well this is pretty awesome."

Payo laughed as they went outside, "We have made plans for you to leave with the delegation from the earth kingdom so you may begin your avatar training."

Kuruk sighed. "I was just beginning to beat Master Saio on a regular basis." It didn't worry him too much that he was leaving the Northern Water Tribe. "Can I bring Agler?"

"Of course," Payo replied as they descended the steps into the upper town. "She is your spirit guide." Kuruk was relieved. He had found his polar leopard as a cub when he was seven and raised her from there. Agler had grown to be large enough for Kuruk to ride and tame enough for him to keep around his family and the rest of the tribe – unusual for one of the most feared arctic beasts. It made so much more sense now why Aggie was so agreeable to humans.

"Can I bring Hinun?"

Payo's smile faltered. He knew that Kuruk and his son were very close. Kuruk glanced at Payo.

"My son is old enough to decide for himself, I think." Payo said after a few minutes, staring straight ahead.

"Great! He's probably been fished out by now so I'll go catch up with him. Bye Payo!"

Kuruk ran down the steps, through the intricate maze of the noble sector. He laughed, and icicles shot up from his footsteps. He ran into the shamans house and up to the second floor.

"HINUN!"

"Get stuffed, Kuruk, I'm hardly even dry!"

Kuruk pushed aside the polar leopard skin that covered the door to his best friends room, slightly out of breath and smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm the avatar!"

"Yeah, and I'm a baby turtle seal. What's new?" Hinun replied, pulling on his long, fur-lined overcoat and tying back his dark dreadlocks, the mark of his status as Shaman in training.

"No, I'm serious, look." Kuruk held out his hands, showing off the braces around his wrist. Hinun raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, and your dad gave me this, too." Kuruk said, pointing at the large whale and stone necklace.

"Well I must've hatched out of an egg." Hinun said, giving his friend a deep mock bow, flourishing elegantly. "Congratulations, Avatar Kuruk of the water tribe. How may I serve your honorable honorableness?"

"If you call me honorable honorableness I will kill you."

"Kiss my nether regions, sweetheart." Hinun replied, grabbing his necklace and putting Kuruk in a chokehold as they left his room and went outside.

"Your mouth is foul." Kuruk said, struggling to get out of the older boys hold.

"Now you have no excuse when I beat you." Hinun pushed Kuruk out of the house, following him and stretching. Kuruk grimaced, remembering their last sparring encounter. Hinun had always been an amazing bender. Kuruk blamed this on the fact that Hinun had been possessed by a warrior spirit. The thing about that, though, was Hinun had been at the same level since he turned thirteen. While amazing and hailed as a prodigy Hinun knew that he would never be able to improve past the level he was right now. Kuruk, however. . .

The avatar suddenly grinned.

"Just wait until I learn firebending." Kuruk exclaimed, jumping back and hitting the air around him in mock bending motions. He gasped as some smoke trailed from his hands. "Hinun look! I'm doing it already!"

He glanced down and realized that it was just the ice steaming as Hinun twirled his hand, melting the ice beneath his feet.

"You're a jerk."

Hinun laughed and clapped Kuruk on the shoulder. The two boys continued down to the lower village, where Kuruk lived. "Yes. But you're worse. How are you going to break it to Oki?"

Kuruk shrugged. "I was thinking something along the lines of 'I'm the avatar and I've always been into green eyes'."

"I think you're a fool." Hinun said, as they passed through the last of the nobleman's houses.

"Maybe. I'm just worried about what my mother will say."

"Her youngest son, off on his own, learning how to keep the peace, travelling around on a grand quest for enlightenment!" Hinun draped an arm over his friends shoulder, laughing as Kuruk did.

Kuruk lifted Hinun's arm off his shoulders and stopped, "Actually. About being on my own." Hinun raised an eyebrow. "Would you come with me?" Kuruk asked, looking up at Hinun. "You're literally my oldest friend. If you don't come with me I will only have Agler to talk to and she's not much of a conversationalist."

Hinun's smile faltered and he glanced down. "We'll be gone a long time, won't we."

"So you'll come with me!"

"Of course, your honorable honorableness" Hinun said, smiling and bowing deeply again. Kuruk laughed and grabbed Hinun, hugging him tightly. Hinun patted the young avatar on the back and they continued to walk along the ice path.

"Come on, you sap. Let's go tell your girlfriend you're dumping her for the emerald eyed princess of Omashu."

"Actually. . . " Kuruk skipped ahead of Hinun. "Why don't you tell her while I go chat with my family? Catch you later, bye!" Kuruk ran off quickly before Hinun could get a word in. Hinun sighed and tugged at his pony tail.

Hinun turned left and tried to remember where Oki lived. Typical that Kuruk was going to make one last girl cry before he left the Water Tribe.


	2. Travelling

Chapter two! I see you all reading. . . The next chapter will be more exciting, and there will be a nice fight scene.

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><p><em>My mother didn't take the change well. My three elder brothers teased me a bit, and my father only told me to make him proud. After some tedious pomp was gone in a week.<em>

_Oki? I actually have no clue what happened to her._

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><p>Agler was not used to boats. The beast had stayed above decks the entire journey, even through a snowstorm The three of the water tribe inhabitants had only been on the boat for about four days they were expecting to make landfall soon. Kuruk and Hinun sat opposite each other, doing their daily breathing exercises when one of the Earth crew yelled that they had spotted land.<p>

Kuruk jumped up and ran to the side, eagerly searching the horizon while Hinun continued to mediatate on the deck.

"Up old man!" Kuruk said, bending some water over the side and widening his stance. "We're here!" Kuruk leaned forward snapping a water whip in between Hinun's shoulderblades. Hinun leaned to the side, quickly stood up, shifted onto his left foot and threw an icicle back at Kuruk, who skipped out of the way, laughing.

"Stuff it, you young rapscallion!" Hinun laughed, his hands open as the water melted again and flew into a nice stream in his hands. "You know I'm getting slow."

Kuruk smiled and forgot about land, taking a stream of water in between his own hands as the two benders eyed each other. "Rules!" Kuruk said as Hinun began to shift right. Hinun stumbled.

"What now?" Hinun asked, annoyed about his trip.

"You only get the water in your hands right now. Lose control and you get to go all starry."

"I can beat you in hand to hand too, your honorable honorableness, don't you worry about that." Hinun smirked, the water in between his hands pulsing.

"Age before beauty, good sir." Kuruk said, bowing. He looked up and jumped back as a water whip came inches from his face. "Too Slow!"

By the time the boat had reached shore both the water benders were lying flat on their backs, breathing hard. Both had lost their water whips long ago and Hinun was pretty sure he had a loose tooth. As he was using his tongue to push against a molar Kuruk kicked him in the side.

"I thought we had a truce, fool." Hinun growled without much energy, trying to retaliate and only succeeding in flopping onto his stomach. "Oof."

"Not fighting. We're here." The boat had eased up so gently that Hinun had hardly felt it. Kuruk was up first and he smiled broadly, scrambling over the side of the boat and falling flat onto the sand. He had never seen sand before. Looking up he surveyed the trees around him and ran to the forest line. He had only seen trees in murals and when foreign ambassadors had brought them to the Water Tribe. He felt a nudge and knew that Agler had followed him.

"Look girl!" Kuruk said, smiling broadly, placing a hand on his animals head. "Trees!"

"Paint a picture, Kuruk a scroll'll last longer!" Hinun yelled from the ship. He had been pressganged into helping unload some supplies. They set up a sturdy camp in just an hour.

"So when do I get to learn earthbending?" Kuruk asked the Earth Priest eagerly, riding on Agler over to the man.

"First we go to the temple. Then you will find your teacher." The man said patiently. "I must go find firewood before it gets dark."

"Find him?" Kuruk followed, nudging the polar leopard forward. "You don't have him picked out?"

The old man bent down "You must find the right teacher for yourself." He explained. "No one else can do that."

"So I just have to chose whoever I feel like choosing?"

Frowning the Earth Priest turned to Kuruk "It's not that simple. You must meditate. And fast. And you must be introduced to various kings and nobles. As the Avatar following Yengchen, one of the most feared and respected avatars in history people will want to meet you and talk to you."

Kuruk frowned. That sounded awful.

"Right. Back to finding a teacher. It's just my choice, that's what you're saying?"

"Well. Yes. I guess so."

"Nice!"

"But young avatar there is a time-honored process-"

"Thank you so much, I'll see you back at camp!" Kuruk said, pushing Agler into a lope back to the beach.

Kuruk found Hinun helping one of the earth nation men build a fire pit from the smooth stones around the beach. Sliding off Agler, Kuruk's pale grey-blue eyes met his friends darker ones.

"So, news, I can choose whomever I want for my earth bending teacher." Kuruk said, nudging Hinun.

"Have you already picked her out then?" Hinun asked, smiling.

"Her?"

"Knowing you, Kuruk, you'll find the prettiest earthbender in the kingdom and tell the priest she's the girl of your dreams."

"That's a good one!" Kuruk exclaimed. "Girls will definitely go for that right?"

Hinun rolled his eyes. He supposed that now Kuruk knew he was new avatar it was nice to see that it hadn't changed him any.

The group proceeded to sail down the coast into a small bay. Every day was very much the same, with one exception that after their daily sparring match the Earth Priest took Kuruk aside for an hour, instructing him in the proper way to bow to certain nobles and the way he should address different people. Kuruk never tired of complaining about it.

"Did you know there are different degrees of respect when you bow? And you have to memorize those differences for different nobles?"

"I did know that."

"Why can't they just bow and grovel and be done with it? There's even a ritual gift exchange where you give a gift, they give you a gift and then you can't even compliment it. What is that about?"

"Mutual respect?" Hinun offered, smiling.

"Well I think it's tedious."

"I think you're tedious."

"I can't be tedious, I'm the avatar."

Hinun rolled his eyes. "We have only one more day until we get to our port."

"Then how far?" Kuruk asked, petting Agler as she came up next to them.

"Two days of riding, I think."

Kuruk blanched. He didn't want to think about meeting all these nobles, and meditating and starving himself and groveling about gifts. He just wanted to learn how to earthbend and be done with it. It wasn't like there were any wars going on. All that was going on right now was boring and . . . tedious.

"Ughhh." Kuruk flopped back on the dirt. "I just want to do something worthwhile."

"You're the avatar, you fool. Something's bound to come up where you can exercise your might avatar-ness." Hinun said, shaking his head. "Apparently there's supposed to be a shrine around here to the River Spirit. We should go check it out."

"Why?"

"Because you're the avatar! Stuff like that is what you do!"

"Uggghhh!"

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><p>THanks for reading! Leave a review?<p> 


	3. Xian He of Dreams

This was a fun one! Premonitions and spirits and danger oh my!

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><p><em>Let me tell you about the first time I entered the Spirit World. . . .<em>

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><p>"Are we there yet?" Kuruk grumbled. If he had known that the walk would have taken more than ten minutes he would have ridden Aggie. The polar leopard needed exercise after all. Kuruk wasn't putting any force behind his complaints, more voicing them just to speak. They had been crossed the river and been walking along the opposite bank for about half an hour.<p>

"Hush up, we're nearly there."

"But Hinun how do you know?"

"You can't feel it?" Hinun asked, turning to his younger companion and smiling. "Come on, this is an old river spirit. A water spirit. "

Kuruk paused for a second. "You can feel it?"

"Yeah. You should be able to. Here." Hinun placed himself in front of Kuruk and placed his own hands together, palms flat as if he were going to bow to Kuruk. "Breathe, alright? Like meditate, but try to think about the way a river moves, both up and down and towards and away. Breathe, and imagine that you're rising with the tide, exhale and imagine you're falling with it."

Kuruk clentched his eyes shut, took a few deep breaths and settled into his meditation. It took a few minutes but he had the image down, and then the feeling. Like he was moving with his mind. There was a drift, a pull on his feet and when he opened his eyes he was smiling. "I feel it! The current is pulling us."

Hinun laughed. "I'll teach you to be an avatar yet." He said, tying up his dreadlocks, "Let's keep going."

The two continued down the waters edge, Kuruk now very aware of the slight tug on his boots every time he took a step. Wordlessly, they turned and walked into the forest, and in a few meters saw a shrine in the center of a treeless space. The first thing they noticed was a red-crowned crane, fishing. There was a pond, and a small trickle of crystal clear water ran from the pond to the river. Behind the pond there was a small house, and a frame had been carved out of a white marble that looked like it was glowing in the near-evening light.

"This is it." Kuruk said, and Hinun had to bite back an 'Oh, really?'

As they stepped forward, both were suddenly hit with a force that felt like a migraine. Hinun's eyes widened and Kuruk turned to his friend only to see Hinun on the ground, staring wordlessly at the treeline. Kuruk tried to bend down to help him, but the crane had somehow appeared in front of him, much bigger than a usual crane. Before Kuruk could say anything, the crane stretched its impossibly long neck forward and – this was the only adjective Kuruk could use later – dipped his beak into Kuruk, a ripple pulsing from around the point.

In a second Kuruk felt like he was falling forwards.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the grove still, but the trees were bigger. There was more noise and the small shrine had turned into a large lake.

At the lakes edge there was the crane.

Kuruk glanced down where Hinun had been only to see an unrecognizable middle aged man. He frowned and turned to the crane.

"What have you done to Hinun?" He asked, as calmly as he was able. The crane ducked its head and walked out of the lake, getting larger and larger until it was standing at eye level with Kuruk.

'That is his true form, here.' The voice was androgynous and while he didn't see the cranes beak move Kuruk knew that it came from the bird.

"So he really is possessed."

'In a way. Much like you are possessed by all of your past lives.' The crane said. 'But I have brought you here for something else. I cannot speak in your world'

"Who are you?" Kuruk asked, wary.

'I am Xian He, of dreams.' The crane replied, bowing its neck slightly. Kuruk could see that the red crown on his head had been extended, the small line of red feathers trailing down the crane's back and even into two longer feathers at the end of the birds tail. "I am the river spirit to whom this shrine is dedicated."

"I am Kuruk, of the water tribe." Kuruk bowed, realizing he must be seen as very rude.

'Kuruk. I am going to give you a dream.'

"What?"

'It will help you learn that simply because there is peace and prosperity, you are not meant to simply let life go on around you. This is a warning.' Xian He spread his wings and Kuruk backed away. 'This is your choice, young avatar.' The voice was louder. 'This is your choice.'

Kuruk began to run towards the spirit of Hinun, and he suddenly felt very sleepy. He looked down and saw Xian He's beak sticking out of his stomach.

"Oh."

When Kuruk woke up it was to Hinun hitting him in the face.

"Do you know what just happened?"

It was dark out and Kuruk felt a little sick. He waved Hinun away and sat up, taking deep breaths, his eyes closed. He opened them and a crane called somewhere in the distance. In an instant his dream came back.

"That bird we saw here. It was a spirit."

"The river spirit?"

"Yeah."

"You talked to it?"

"It actually pulled me into the spirit world."

"What." Hinun looked shocked, and Kuruk couldn't tell, his head was pounding and he had placed his hands over his eyes, but a little angry. "What happened."

"You were there too. Or your water fighter man was. The one inside you. But. . .Xian He told me he'd send me a dream."

"I thought this was a river spirit."

"I don't know Hinun, that's just what the giant spirit crane said, alright?" Kuruk snapped, standing up. Hinun sighed.

"I'm sorry. What kind of dream."

"A nightmare." Kuruk frowned. "Lets get going back to camp."

Hinun followed Kuruk, annoyed. "I didn't even realize it was a dream at first," Kuruk began. "It was like I was still in the spirit world. But I was in this like mangrove, right? I was looking for something. Then there was this girl. I turned her around to talk to her, but she had no face. No hair. Nothing."

"No face?"

Kuruk shook his head. "None. So I turned to run, but there was this spiders web, and I ran into it. It was giant, and I couldn't bend or anything. Then I saw the spider and it was at the edge of the web and started crawling towards me, but instead of just the spider moving it . . . extended. Like there were ten bodies in that one body and they were all attached and each of the bodies had all those legs and eyes and it came up to me and sat on my chest and I could feel it breathe-" Kuruk shuddered. "It opened its mouth wide and my face was there. And I smiled.

"Then I woke up." Kuruk muttered. Hinun sighed and put an arm around his friend. They walked in silence on the beach.

"I didn't have quite that experience. I fell asleep and dreamed that I was back home. That was it." Hinun said, squeezing Kuruks shoulder.

"What does it mean Hinun?"

"I'm a spiritual advisor in training, Kuruk. I have no idea. We can ask the priest –"

"No!" Kuruk exclaimed. "Hinun, you don't understand. I felt like guilty in my dream. Like I had done something terrible. I felt like I deserved to be caught and eaten."

"Calm down. We'll just ask about the crane spirit."

"Xian He."

"That. Don't worry about it."

The two walked back to the camp and immediately the earth priest ran over, wringing his hands. Hinun stepped in front of Kuruk, holding his hands up. "We're fine. Just went for a walk."

That seemed to satisfy the man, who went back to the fire. "Well," he said, "You're just in time for dinner, anyway."

As they ate, Kuruk and Hinun sat next to the earth priest.

"You're familiar with the spirits around here, right?" Hinun asked, Kuruk was still melancholy and not at all his usual happy-go-lucky self.

"Of course."

"Can you tell me about the spirit, Xian He? It takes the shape of a crane with a red patch on his forehead."

The priest nodded.

"Xian He is an ancient and powerful spirit. When the moon and the ocean spirits began to move, they realized that there were other bodies of water they had created. So they created spirits for them. Xian He is one of those spirits. He is very strong."

"Does he have anything to do with, uh, dreams?"

Frowning, the priest put down his roughly hewn plate. "Yes. He does. How do you know that?"

Kuruk glanced at Hinun and Hinun shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a guess." Hinun said, smiling lamely. Any excuse would have been pretty feeble anyway.

"Xian He is a spirit associated with prophetic dreams." The priest said, returning to his meal. Next to Hinun Kuruk tensed up. "He cannot speak to us, so he sends dreams. He cannot lie, but he does not necessarily show us the truth." Kuruk relaxed and Hinun looked at his friend, ruffling his hair. Kuruk jerked away and Hinun sighed.

"Alright. Thank you sir."

"Were you visited in a dream by Xian He?"

Hinun opened his mouth to answer but Kuruk stood up suddenly, whistled for Agler, jumped on and took off down the river.

"Avatar!"

Hinun put a hand on the priests arm sleeve, pulling him back down. "I was."

"Was the Avatar?" the priest asked, sitting down slowly.

"He was."

"What did Xian He say?"

"To Kuruk? That's his business." The priest looked disappointed. "But I can tell you what Xian He gave to me." The priest perked up. "A vision of home." Hinun smiled and then began to focus on his own mean. Xian He might not be able to lie, but he could.

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><p>Leave me a review! Thanks guys!<p> 


	4. Fight Scene

Here's a fight scene! And a set up. : ) Thanks for your support! 3

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><p><em>We made it to the small port just fine. It was once we were on the road to the temple that we ran into a bit of trouble.<em>

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><p>Kuruk had never put a saddle on Agler, but he was starting to wish he had one. He looked longingly at Hinuns ostrich horse and sighed, patting Aggie on the neck. Maybe he could find a way to make a saddle for her.<p>

"Hey Hinun." Kuruk nudged Agler up to Hinun "I know you want a chance to ride Aggie." He said, smiling. Hinun looked at the polar leopards two rather large front teeth.

"Nope. I'll pass."

"Please?"

"No. We're going to stop soon for lunch, just grab a sleeping bag or something."

Kuruk sighed. He had to try. They continued on for a few more minutes before Hinuns ostrich horse flicked its tail, starting on the path and causing a commotion. It took a bit of calming to calm the beast down. Agler's ears flicked back and Kuruk frowned.

"Now!"

In a second there were half a dozen arrows in their way, two hitting their supply wagon, and a few other hitting living targets that screamed or cawed.

Kuruk and Hinun quickly slid off their mounts.

"The barrels Kuruk!" Hinun shouted, quicky bending the water in his canteen in front of him. Kuruk jumped over a man that had been hit,

"Now!"

ducked again and made it to the supply wagon, quickly bending the gallons of water in the two barrels to move their containers, rolling the barrels to where Hinun was. The priests and their escorts had formed a circle, one of the priests had earthbended a wall around the people who couldn't defend themselves.

Kuruk and Hinun stood at the front of the path, where the voice had come from, two barrels in between them. Agler stood next to Kuruk, growling.

"Come out!" Kuruk yelled, settling into a waterbending stance. Next to him Hinun was in the same position, hands out and ready.

"Now!"

Another rain of arrows came arching out of the forest, but a wall of ice rose to meet them as Kuruk and Hinun moved in tandem, blocking the volley. Agler growled as her hackles rose and her ears fell flat back on her head. A yell came from the priests, a bandit had snuck around and was trying to raid their supplies. Kuruk nodded and Agler leapt onto the earthen wall, bounding over to the man, beginning to chance him.

One hand still holding up the ice wall Kuruk streamed a water whip and snapped it at a tree where an arrow had come from. A grunt came from the forest and Kuruk smiled. Hinun and Kuruk shared a glance and turned so that they were back to back, the water melting and going back into the barrels.

With a yell, eight bandits came running out of the forest. Kuruk, bending a stream of water from his reservoir, moved forwards, hands spreading out and pushing as the water captured two men and wrapped around a tree, freezing them to the large elm. Hinun had knocked the weapons out of the hands of three of the men who had come towards him with quick whips of water.

The bandits came closer and Kuruk and Hinun took the water and formed a wall around themselves, a circle of water that they controlled to flow around the two of them. The bandits hesitated and one came forward slowly, only to have his helmet knocked full around by a tendril of the water, the second hitting his head so hard he fell to the ground and was still.

"Leave now," Hinun said harshly. "Before we have to hurt you."

The bandits looked at each other and then looked at Hinun and Kuruk.

In a rush, everyone attacked. There were six bandits still standing and Hinun and Kuruk broke their wall and began to fight. Hinun managed to freeze one to the ground pretty quickly, and a second was taken out by Agler, but a third got close enough that he had to resort to hand to hand combat. Kuruk took another out with a whip to the head, but a man with a longsword had cut his arm and he dropped the water, turning to kick the man hard in the stomach and then, once his sword had dropped, rabbit punched him on his temples, dropping him. The last bandit then came after Kuruk and it was just the two waterbenders fighting off the last of the thieves.

Hinun and the man he was sparring with were evenly matched – he hadn't had that much training in anything other than waterbending and the fishing spear but he knew that if he could just get to the barrels he might have a better chance of getting the upper hand.

Kuruk had his hands full with this man, who was wielding his mace with deadly accuracy. It was all Kuruk could do to block it with sheets of ice, but the constant movement from water to ice required pinpoint precision and Kuruk wasn't sure he could keep it up. He ducked a swing from the larger man, turned on his pointer foot and swiped up, a water stream hitting against the mans jaw and knocking him back a few feet.

Kuruk smiled, seeing the man struggle to regain his footing.

"Kuruk!" Hinun yelled, paniced. Kuruk whistled once and Agler came bounding onto the mace-man, tossing him to the ground and batting at him with her giant paws as Kuruk ran to help his friend.

Hinun had been dropped to his knees and the man was twisting, about to deliver a punishing kick to Hinuns head when, with a yell, Kuruk jumped over Hinun, slamming his feet into the last thieves' chest. The two went tumbling on the ground and Kuruk stood up quicker, dropped down low, and pulled the last of the water from the barrel into his hands before slamming it at the mans chest, driving him to the ground again. Kuruk took a deep breath and the water froze over the man, fastening him to the dirt road with no movement but the ability to flail his legs.

"And that!" Kuruk said, kicking the man's hand. "is what you get when you mess with the Kuruk crew!"

Hinun started to laugh and Kuruk turned around, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I'm sorry, is something funny?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Nope." Hinun was standing, a hand over his mouth as he tried hard not to laugh harder. "Just." He gasped, glancing at their escorts, who were starting to get their things together and compose themselves. "The Kuruk crew? Why not the avatar assembly? The Kuruk congregate?"

"Shut up."

"I got it! We can be the Kuruk clan!"

"I'll let you get beat up next time."

Hinun was still giggling as he got up on his ostrich horse. One of the earth priests had come over to where the last man had been frozen to the ground. He had brought over two other men who had looked rather official and were supposed to be guardians of the temple.

"Yes. I think he is!"

"Who is?" Kuruk asked, jumping on Aggie and riding up to where they were talking.

"This man is Kunxun. You can tell from the scars on his hands" One of the uniformed man said. Kuruk glanced down and saw two grotesque purple x's on either of the man's hands. Kunxun glared at Kuruk and the avatar was startled by how pale his grey eyes were. He had another scar on the side of his neck that wasn't so pronounced.

"He's a wanted criminal. We're going to take him to the province that's only a few miles from the temple. He can be tried there." A priest came up with a coil of rope. Kunxun's hands were tied tightly and his feet were hobbled before Kuruk melted the water with a wave of his hand.

Kunxun didn't try to resist, but allowed himself to be led to the back, where he was tied to the saddlehorn of an ostrich horse.

"Well." Kuruk said a few hours later as they were making camp underneath an overhanging rock. "That was fun."

"So if we're the avatar assembly, should I call you senator, or . . ."

Hinun laughed and ducked as Kuruk threw his water at him.

Kunxun's eyes glittered in the firelight as he heard the word 'avatar'. He glanced down at his bonds and frowned, then curled up in a ball and went to sleep.

Hinun and Kuruk grabbed their sleeping bags and were asleep quickly.

When the train woke up, the first thing that they realized was that Kunxun had escaped, the only thing left where he had been left, a few frayed pieces of rope.

"Well, it wasn't very good rope."

"So why didn't you use good rope?" Hinun asked, frustrated. The man had come dangerously close to knocking him into the reign of Yengchen.

"If he had escaped he would have ruined it!"

Hinun sighed and walked over to his mount, climbing up. Kuruk came up next to him as they began to move.

"What's wrong?"

"I would have bought him some new rope!"

Kuruk frowned, glanced at Agler, who seemed to shake her head.

"Right mate. I'll remember that."

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><p>Give me a shout! The next chapters nearly done, and it's a good one.<p> 


	5. Runaway

Yay reviews! Thanks guys, keep em coming. This is where you get to see Kuruks character coming out really well.

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><p><em>Well, I wasn't too keen on staying starving and bored in that earth temple for very long.<em>

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><p>Kuruk and Hinun had been at the earth temple for exactly three days. In that time Kuruk had meditated for six hours each day, eaten only once each day, just as the moon rose, and had spent four hours being greeted and engaging in hospitalities with the local nobles and spiritual guides, as well as spent one of those nights at the residence of the Hwang Shi family.<p>

It was while he was at the Hwang Shi that the young head of house mentioned that Omashu was only about a day away, through the mountain pass.

It was day four and Hinun was practicing some basic forms in front of the temple when he was pushed to the ground.

"Kuruk, what are you-"

"I'm busting out!"

"What?"

"Grab your ostrich horse. I'm going to Omashu!" Kuruk said, sitting on top of Hinun, straddling him, arms crossed. "I'm sick of this place! All I've done is breathe and bow and starve. You don't have any food on you? Doesn't matter. We can take some from the quarters. Or Jeonji's house. You know, for a noble, that man isn't too bad. . ."

"You can't just leave!" Hinun said, glaring up at his friend.

"Yes I can."

"You can't! You have to wait until you get a vision!" Hinun protested, starting to squirm.

"I'm the avatar. I can do whatever I want." Kuruk said, smiling off-handedly and then whistling sharply. Agler came bounding up, licking Kuruk's face and slobbering all over Hinun's shirt.

"Oh, gross."

"Grab your ostrich horse. I'm leaving." Kuruk said, jumping off Hinun and swinging across Aggies neck. He had commissioned a saddle and neck bridle for her out of spare strips of leather and wool padded blankets.

"You're serious?" Hinun asked, rolling onto his side and sitting up.

"Well I'm not staying here!" Kuruk smiled, and then nudged Agler to face the east, where a path led inland to Omashu. "Let's go."

"You're a fool." Hinun stood up, brushing off his back. He saw that Kuruk had already packed both of their sleeping bags, parkas and water canteens.

"Fine," Hinun sighed as Kuruk threw his hands up in the air. Hinun began to run over to where his ostrich horse and supply bags were. "If anyone asks I'm telling them that you kidnapped me."

"Totally fair."

Kuruk and Hinun made good time to the mountain pass, crossing through the range with little trouble. They spotted Omashu and stopped for a few seconds, completely in awe. Hinun, who had travelled with his father, had only been to a few small towns in the Earth Kingdom. This, though, was incredible.

"Woah."

"C'mon." Hinun said, nudging his mount forward, they only had a few hours of daylight left. "We need to find a place to stay tonight." With all the random gifts and presents Kuruk had been receiving they had more than enough for a couple of rooms and food.

Agler received a few stares from the Omashu guards, but once they saw that both were completely unarmed the two boys were allowed in. Kuruk wanted to find the most expensive hotel in Omashu, but Hinun convinced him that being more conservative might be best, so they ended up in the slums. Which was quite typical of them, Kuruk being prone to think everything a game and Hinun not caring at all where they stayed as long as they could stay for a month. Neither cared too much about appearances, although Hinun did take charge of the money pretty quickly.

"So." Hinun said, inspecting the small two mattress room with an expression almost bordering on distaste. "Now that you've escaped what are you going to do?"

"Get some food! I saw a noodle shop and I've never tried earth kingdom noodles and I want to so we should go."

"I meant more along the lines of finding a teacher." Hinun said, following Kuruk out of their room, locking it behind him. It was a nice day and both of the water benders had left their parkas off. Kuruk was adjusting his earth bending braces on his wrists as they walked outside.

"Oh you know. I figured I'll just find the biggest burliest guy I can find and ask him, you know?" Kuruk shrugged.

"Oh good." Hinun said, rolling his eyes. At least he had a plan, right?

They went outside and walked a block to get to the noodle cart Kuruk had seen. They both got some spicy noodles – the other ingredients weren't listed – and sat down on the sidewalk next to the cart to eat.

"This is good!" Hinun exclaimed. He didn't know what kind of meat he was eating but it tasted amazing.

"'Ol juu." Kuruk grunted, mouth full. Suddenly Kuruk stopped eating and hit Hinun in the side, making the other boy growl and spill some broth on his pants.

"What is your-"

"Look!" Kuruk hissed and nodded across the street. Hinun looked over and shrugged.

"What are you on about? What over there is worth burning my legs?"

"That man is Kunxun." Kuruk muttered, leaning closer to Hinun. Hinun frowned and looked closer. The man was weighing some squash in his hand and Hinun could just barely see the raised purple scars on the mans hand.

"What do you want to do?" Hinun asked, watching Kunxun as the man paid for the produce and began to walk brusquely away.

"Let's follow him." Kuruk said, putting down his noodles and standing quickly.

"I'm not even done yet."

"Come _on_!"

"Alright, alright." Hinun sighed, putting his noodles on the ground and following Kuruk, who was already half disappearing in the crowd. "Stupid avatar, thinks he can save the world already." Hinun muttered, annoyed at Kuruk and the entire earth nation and especially Kunxun.

Kuruk had stopped in a small alley and Hinun nearly ran into him slowing down from his run.

"He went in there." Kuruk pointed at a run down tea shop. "I guess he lives upstairs."

"He could just like tea."

"How do you know that?" Kuruk snarled.

"How do you know that he likes tea?" Hinun replied, rolling his eyes.

"We'll just wait until he comes out."

An hour later found Hinun slouched down in the alley, playing with some water he had bent from a discarded vase of flowers and Kuruk still paying fierce attention to the tea shop.

"He lives there, I know it."

"Whoop-de-doo." Hinun said, twirling his finger and the water formed a small cyclone near Kuruks ear that he swatted away. "Alright, so maybe he lives there, what now? It's getting late."

"We need to bring him in!"

"No." Hinun said, standing up. "We," He pointed at himself and Kuruk, "don't need to do seal dung. At the very most our obligation is drawn at reporting this to authorities."

"I am an authority." Kuruk said, almost stomping his foot on the ground.

"Kuruk. . ." Hinun shook his head and trailed off. Hinun had wanted to tell the other boy that he thought he was a fool, but what was the point? They had literally been stalking this man for an hour and all he had done was go into a tea shop. Not exactly high treason.

Kuruk glared at Hinun and then turned back to the entrance of the tea shop. It had just turned the sign from 'open' to closed'.

"See!" Kuruk exclaimed. "He does live here!"

"That's great. Can we go now?"

"No!" Kuruk exclaimed.

Hinun hit his head against the wall. He just wanted a bath and a full meal. This seemed like it was never going to end.

"Someone's going in!"

"That's great Kuruk." Hinun said, eyes closed.

"I think it's a boy our age." Kuruk explained, excited. He was so convinced that he was going to catch Kunxun that he was nearly jumping up and down

"Well thank goodness it wasn't Agler."

"Why would Aggie be here?"

Hinun hit his head against the wall again and then felt himself being dragged up by his tunic collar. Kuruk looked furious and pinned Hinun against the side of the dirty alley with both hands on the older boys shoulders.

"Hinun, I am trying to do something here, alright? I need help and you are the only one who can help me right now. And I swear, you may be my oldest friend but you're being a real pain!"

Hinun clenched his jaw. The avatar argument would be best delivered at a later time.

"What's your plan, then?" Hinun asked, trying hard to keep the snap out of his voice.

"It's a tea shop, right? There needs to be a supply of water throughout the whole building. We find his room and one of us bends ice across his windows. He'll try to go out through the front entrance and the other one will be there waiting for him."

Hinun looked at Kuruk. It wasn't a bad plan. "You want to meet him at the door, don't you?"

"Good thinking, you better find your way onto the roof now." Kuruk said, walking into the street and taking some water from his canteen and bending it into the lock. He held it there with a hand from the crane form and then splayed his fingers open against the lock, the expanding ice breaking the lock neatly. He pushed the door open and then bowed to Hinun.

"Age before beauty, old man."

Hinun rolled his eyes and pushed his way past the avatar. His stance deepened as soon as he was in the store, feeling the aquifer that connected to a pump in the kitchen. He raised his arms and the pressure made the pipe burst, rather loudly. Kuruk winced, and when he looked up he saw Hinun run past him, a wave of water following him as he guided the gallons outside. Hinun turned, his hands moving past his hips as he faced the building, the steady stream of water following the movement to build up behind Hinun. In only a few seconds he had as much water as he needed and brough his hands from by his right leg over to his left and then, leaning back threw his arms around, his open hands guiding the water over all the open windows on the two stories above the shop as he breathed, the water turning to slush and then immediately to ice as it hit the cold earthen house.

Water was starting to flood the tea shop. Hinun crossed his arms and turned to his friend, smirking. "You're missing your queue Kuruk."

Kuruk shut his mouth quickly and grinned, turning away from Hinun and running up the steps. He had a thief to find!

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><p>oh yeah. : ) leave me something!<p> 


	6. Son of a Thief

The few reviews I do get are very pleasant and I appreciate them. : ) Keep reading! and reviewing. The next few chapters will be getting very good.

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><p><em>I thought I was going to be a hero. Let me tell you, I was in for a huge surprise.<em>

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><p>Kuruk didn't wait for Hinun to tell him twice. Grinning, the young avatar raced up the stairs, bending water so that it covered his arms like armor. On the second floor, people were popping out into the hall to see what had been done to their windows. Kuruk only stopped for a second to see that the old lady and middle aged man were not who he was looking for. On the second floor he spotted Kunxun in the hallway, talking to whoever else was in his flat.<p>

"Found you!" Kuruk exclaimed. Without a seconds thought he twisted around and then thrust both arms in front of him, two jets of water aimed right at the thief. Kunxun's eyes widened, and he ducked the blasts, retreating into his apartment.

Kuruk grinned and ran after Kunxun, knocking down the flimsy rice paper door with a kick and a water whip, throwing the screen across the room.

Inside the room Kunxun stood in front of the young man he had seen enter the shop after closing.

"Give up or else!"

Kunxun growled and pulled out two knives.

"You can't beat me!" Kuruk gloated. As soon as he said so, Kunxun threw one of the blades. Kuruk was slow to react and only knocked the missile off-course. The knife twirled and the handle hit Kuruk on his temple.

In a second, a burst of red flashed over his eyes and he was back at the spirit pond. Instead of Xian He, there was the giant twenty-legged spider with giant pincers for a face swimming in the water. The monster stopped and then rose up to a threatening height, towering over Kuruk. It opened its mouth and a face appeared. Kuruk couldn't move and the face became larger and larger and larger until he was swallowed whole by the beast in a golden explosion.

Kuruk staggered back and realized the entire vision had only taken a second.

"YOU!" Kuruk said, his water falling to the floor. The young man sitting on the floor had stood up behind Kunxun. "You, who are, what's your name? Tell me."

"Get away from her." Kunxun growled, stepping forward and Kuruk's eyes flashed. His hands pulled the ice from the window, wrapped the icicles around Kunxun and in a second the man was pushed up against the outer wall.

The woman – Kuruk could see that her lips were a bit too full, her eyes too large - was probably in her mid twenties. She stepped forwards, her hands up.

"I am Sita." She said, her voice low and soft. "What do you want?"

"Who are you?" Kuruk said, eyes wide and nearly panicked. It had been her face he had seen in the monsters mouth.

"I am Kunxun's daughter." She said, her hands still up. "Are you going to take him away?"

"But who are you?" Kuruk yelled. He had no idea what was going, why this woman was in his vision, what it even meant.

"I'm just a public worker. I build the delivery slides."

"You're an earthbender."

"She's the best earthbender. Avatar!" Kunxun said, struggling, "And if you touch her I swear I will kill you and bury you so far underground your next life will struggle to move." He growled, spitting on the floor.

Kuruk and Sita stared at each other.

"I think you're supposed to be my earth bending teacher."

"What?" three voices responded. Kuruk turned around and saw Hinun in the doorway.

"You can't be serious." his best friends said, crossing his arms.

"You're the avatar. . . I'm just a construction worker."

Hinun wrapped an arm around Kuruk and leaned to whisper in his friends ear. "I've gotten a boy to run for the regulate. They should be here in a few minutes."

"You need to come with me!" Kuruk explained, stepping forwards and grabbing Sita's arm. "Your fathers going to be arrested and so are you if you stay."

Sita pulled out of Kuruks grip, surprisingly strong for a woman of such thin stature. "Release my father and I will go with you." She said. Kuruk glared at her. Hinun rolled his eyes.

"Fine!" Kuruk grabbed her wrist again and with the other unfroze the water, already heading out the door. Hinun was left staring at a wet and angry looking Kunxun.

"Sorry about your door." Hinun said, "And trying to get you arrested. And getting you evicted."

"I am going to kill the avatar." Kunxun said, pushing by Hinun.

"Oh good, we agree on something!"

Ten minutes later found the rather unseemly group in the tavern below Kuruk and Hinuns small apartment. Agler was growling menacingly in the corner before Kuruk brought her over to sit next to him, laying her head in his lap.

The first thing Kuruk said to the man whom he had planned to capture and imprison was ; "I had a vision of your daughter." Hinun hit his forehead and wanted to die. "I think she's supposed to be my earth bending teacher."

"Will you take me out of Omashu?" Sita asked, intent. Kunxun looked at her as Kuruk nodded.

"Wherever you want to go."

Hinun stayed quiet. He had his hands on his thighs and although he looked relaxed he was ready to protect Kuruk if he thought that his friend was in danger. There was water in the canteen at his side and he might be able to at least subdue Kunxun for a while.

Sita looked at Kunxun who was staring at the ground. "It might be better for you to leave. We've been running for too long. We can separate and life will be easier for you with him." Kunxun glared at the ground.

"Great! So you'll do it!" Kuruk exclaimed.

"I don't have too much of a choice." Sita said. Her hands were clutched together in her lap.

Hinun was silent throughout this entire conversation. He was not happy at all. How could Kuruk just say that the peasant daughter of an outlaw was supposed to be his earthbending teacher? How was he supposed to know if she could even earthbend at a level that Kuruk needed? All of this was so out of order. This woman even looked like she might be a little sick. This was absolutely ridiculous, but. This was Kuruk. He was going to do whatever he was going to do, especially now that he knew he was the avatar. Nobody would ever be able to tell Kuruk no ever again and this whole adventure to Omashu was just the first display of his new found willpower.

"Fantastic!" Kuruk said, grinning, "We'll rest up here, see the sights, pop in on the king – I personally have an invitation to visit the princess, if you know what I mean, and then shop around a bit-"

"No." Sita cut Kuruk off sharply with a raised voice.

Hinun raised his eyebrows, trying to hide his smile. He knew that he may let Kuruk push him around but this woman might become the next big bad polar leopard on the block.

"No? What do you mean, no?" Kuruk managed to say, despite the shock written on his face.

"I want to leave tomorrow morning. My father isn't safe here and he won't leave until I do."

Kunxun said nothing. The man knew that as Sita's father he had the last say over what she did but at this point? What say did he have over her that she hadn't already flaunted away. The fact that he was a wanted criminal only slightly added to his feeling like he had no control over the situation. But he did love his daughter, and she was right to say that he wouldn't leave while she was still in the city.

Kuruk frowned, looking from Kunxun to Hinun and finding no help from either of the older men.

"Fine. But you better be ready to go. Where are all your things?"

Sita glared at the floor. "Only what I am wearing, avatar."

"We'll leave at first light." Hinun interrupted. He resolved to find the woman an extra set of clothing before the shops opened. He held out his hand to Kunxun and then bowed to Sita.

"It is an honor," he said, smiling. "To have finally found the woman who will teach the avatar how to earthbend."


End file.
